I think I've reached the cracking point. The high for the next couple of days here is still only going to be in the twenties. This has been the longest, coldest, snowiest (we broke a record in February for snow) winter. Then Cookiecrumb over at I'm Mad and I Eat had the nerve to post a picture of a daffodil blooming in her yard. That really did me in. My back yard, on the other hand, looks like this:

So last night I cooked a friend a birthday dinner. I knew she liked pasta and salmon, so this was a perfect dish for her. We started off, however, with these:

Limoncello cocktails. Simply a shot of limoncello, topped off with champagne (actually, we used an Italian Prosecco) and a slice of lemon. No ice, because you keep the limoncello in the freezer and ice would only dilute the drink.

While pasta is cooking, make the sauce. Saute shallot in olive oil in skillet. Add tomatoes and vodka and cook for 2 minutes. Add chicken broth and herbs. Add salmon and gently cook for five minutes. Stir in cream. Add cooked pasta to skillet and coat with sauce.

I actually have made this twice in the last week. I was very pleased and I think my guests were as well. I also served the lemoncello coctails but the bellinis were a bigger hit. Very fun and unusual. Thanks!

This sounded so good and I had all the ingredients. Now that I have everything together, the sauce tastes too bitter, like too much vodka. How do I make it not so bitter now? Dinner is ready to be served, and I have nothing to serve!! Please help!